Using the form of goddess Kali, artist Sanjay Bhattacharya created 4 drawings celebrating various moods of the goddess. Standing with one foot on Shiva’s chest and red tongue stuck out, curator Kounteya Sinha celebrates the black goddess in a show entitled Niguro at the Kolkata Design Fair.
“Kali’s fierce form is strewed with symbols. Her black complexion symbolises her all-embracing and transcendental nature,” says Kounteya.
‘Just as all colours disappear in black, all names and forms disappear in her,’ said Mahanirvana Tantra by Sir John Woodroffe. Her nudity is primeval, fundamental, and transparent like nature that constitutes the Earth, the sea and the sky. Kali is free from the illusory covering, for she is beyond all maya or “false consciousness.” Kali’s garland of fifty human heads, that stands for the fifty alphabets of the Sanskrit language, symbolises infinite knowledge.
Kali’s form
“For me, Kali is not a religious symbol, she is a form,” says Bhattacharya. He creates a stunning symbolism through shades of vermillion, black and grey. The geometry and abstraction creates contours which form a confluence of an aura that is unmistakable.
Historians state that Kali in her manifestation has many messages. Her girdle of severed human hands signifies work and liberation from the cycle of karma. Her white teeth show her inner purity and her red lolling tongue indicates her omnivorous nature — “an indiscriminate enjoyment of all the world’s flavours.” Her sword is the destroyer of false consciousness and the eight bonds that bind us. Bhattacharya gives us Kali in her monumental magnificence through his four drawings.
“Her three eyes represent the three modes of time — past, present, and future — an attribute that lies in the very name Kali (Kala in Sanskrit means time),” says Bhattacharya. The images create many reflections that we can recall from literature as well as ancient texts. The eminent translator of Tantrik texts, Woodroffe in Garland of Letters, writes, “Kali is so called because She devours Kala (time) and then resumes Her own dark formlessness.”
Mahabharata
Historian Devdutt Pattnaik says that in the Mahabharata and Ramayana, composed around the third century BC, time and goddesses including Kali were given more character. They were usually independent and wild, appearing as manifestations of divine rage and embodiments of the forces of destruction.
In the Mahabharata, for instance, the nocturnal bloodbath by Ashwathama at the end of the 18-days long war slaughtered Pandavas’ innocent children rather dastardly while they are asleep. This is seen as the work of “Kali of bloody mouth and eyes, smeared with blood and adorned with garlands, her garment reddened — holding noose in hand — binding men and horses and elephants with her terrible snares of death.”
Defender against demons
Devdutt also states that in the Devi Mahatmya, dated roughly to eighth century AD, Kali became a defender against demonic and malevolent forces and by the 19th century, Kali was a goddess of mainstream pantheon, a symbol of divine rage, of raw power and the wild potency of nature. The one who was once feared as an outsider had made her way right to the heart of the mainstream.
Devdutt narrates a story: “They say that Shiva never spoke a single word until Shakti came in his life as Parvati. She became not only his wife, but also his student, asking questions, discussing and deliberating with him, till he revealed to the world the mysteries of life. One day, she asked him, ‘What is love?’”
“When you dance atop me as Kali, naked with hair unbound, unafraid to be yourself, to be powerful and vulnerable and of being judged and mocked, I feel love. You make me open my eyes. I realise that Lalita, the beautiful one, is also Bhairavi, the fearsome one. I realise Mangala, the auspicious one, is also Chandika, the violent one. I see you totally, without judgement and realise I am capable of seeing the truth. That you allow me to see you fully, without judgement, tells me that I have become trustworthy. Thus you become the mirror, the Parvati darpan, that reflects who I am. You help me discover myself. You become my Saraswati. You reveal the true meaning of darshan. In joy, I dance, I become Nataraj.”
In Kolkata, set in an old mansion, Bhattacharya’s Kali drawings will bring together the incantation of an incandescent spirit that surges and speaks to those who are willing to believe amongst the crowds. Perhaps in more ways than one, the words of an old hymn will swing into the air. “O Mother, even a dullard becomes a poet who meditates upon thee raimented with space, three-eyed, creatrix of the three worlds, whose waist is beautiful with a girdle made of numbers of dead men’s arms…” (from a Karpuradi Stotra hymn, translated from Sanskrit by Sir John Woodroffe.)
Writer – Uma Nair, Courtesy – Pioneer
Receiving an Oscar is a dream for every actor. As the who’s who of the world film industry come together under one roof to celebrate this moment, the sheer excitement of the event often leads to some of the most memorable Oscar moments for the world remember. As the stakes run high, the event lends itself to moments that consist of thrill, anxiety and anticipation even among the highly cautious celebrities. Very often, their rare moments of candour, sometimes heartwarming and often hilarious, go on to become some of the best water cooler conversations for years to come. Read: pizza fiestas, celebrity selfies and red carpet faux pas.
Truly a world event, the Academy Awards, now in its 90th year has enjoyed some of the most iconic moments and here are some of them.
Which actor would refuse the movie industry’s heftiest honour? Well, here’s news – the legendary Marlon Brando would and that too for a very unexpected reason.
Instead of attending and collecting his statue in 1973 for his gut-wrenching role as Vito Corleone in The Godfather, he decided to boycott the event altogether and send the Native American civil rights activist Sacheen Littlefeather to the podium instead. While there, she read a letter from the actor that explained why Brando was rejecting the Oscar – due to “the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry.”
Not only did Brando’s rejection of the Oscar go down in history as one of the most memorable moments of the awards’ history but this incident has been etched onto the minds of audiences because The Godfather, a legendary film, saved Brando’s career from hitting a point of no-return.
Hattie McDaniel had broken many stereotypes when she won the award for her portrayal of Mammy, a slave in the Georgian plantation in the classic film — Gone with the Wind. For the 1940 awards, she was made to sit at the back due to segregation and in an irony her Oscar win ensured that she came to the front and on-stage to receive the award. It also paved the way for many more people of colour to be nominated and even win thereon.
Hearts were shattered world-wide at the shocking demise of one of Hollywood’s most iconic and versatile actors. Heath Ledger not only captured the true essence of every character that he portrayed but introduced quirks that became iconic and memorable. The Joker in The Dark Knight was one such role and it came as no surprise that he won the award for best supporting actor posthumously at the 2008 Oscars ceremony. His daughter going on-stage on his behalf to collect the award didn’t leave a dry eye in the auditorium, or for that matter anywhere in the world. Undoubtedly, this was and has been one of the most heart-wrenching moments in the awards’ history.
Winning an Oscar is every director and producers dream and when they make movies, they hope their hard work will get acclaim. But Paul Haggis was left truly stunned when his movie Crash ended up winning the best film at the Oscars over everyone’s favourite and critically acclaimed movie Brokeback Mountain. Jack Nicholson, who was the presenter of the award, was shocked when he opened the envelope. This moment went on to prove that the outcome of the world’s most esteemed film award ceremony can never be predicted.
Winning an Oscar can be overwhelming and mar one’s sense of judgment. While, every Oscar Winner is given exactly 45 seconds to make their Oscar Speech, for Cube Gooding Jr it fell short by a minute. The star won his first Academy for his portrayal of sportsmen Rodney ‘Rod’ Tidwell in the romantic comedy Jerry Maguire in 1997 and over shot his 45 second timeframe by a minute when he continued his speech over the Orchestra.
Though Hattie McDaniel was the first black recipient of an acting Academy award, it was Halle Berry’s win in 2002 for her role in Monsters Ball that was the first ever for the coveted title of ‘Best Actress’, won by a woman of colour. Her heart-warming speech had diversity at its crux.
What happens when you get a world famous comedian and a dozen movie stars in one frame? A social media meltdown. When Ellen Degeneres invited few of the nominees and winners for a selfie and posted it on her Twitter handle, it resulted in the in a temporary breakdown of the social media site it was retweeted over 3.4 million times. A memorable world-event that many audiences around the globe have saved on their smartphones or systems.
Winning the award for Best Actor is a dream for most but for Leonardo Dicaprio, it remained a dream for far too long, despite his path-breaking and multi-faceted performances. After being snubbed five times over a period of 23 years as his first Oscar nomination was at the age of 20, the actor was finally called on-stage to collect the golden statute for his performance in The Revenant. The speech that he delivered was nothing short of magic and went down in Oscar history to become more important than the actual win.
A blooper is what made this one memorable. The film, La La Land not only won hearts around the world but also went on a winning spree at the 89th Academy Awards. So, it was not a surprise when they were asked to come on-stage to collect the most sought-after title of ‘Best Picture’. Only this time around, they didn’t win.
When the entire cast and crew of the movie came on-stage to give their speech, award presenter Warren Beatty clarified that it was an incorrect announcement and went on to declare that Moonlight, was the winner that night. While everyone laughed it off, the shock that came with the second announcement has cemented itself as one of the biggest goof ups yet and is right up there in the most iconic moments in the 91 years of Oscar history!
Writer: Team Viva
Courtesy: The Pioneer
They say theatre is a reflection of society, no matter where it comes from or the characters who are in the spotlight. The stage can have multiple interpretations and sides to it, depending on a director’s perception. While the 20th Bharat Rang Mahotsav celebrates theatre and its various colours, the international directors are showcasing their culture and their perceptions of the world, theatre and arts, with “An Iliad” bring one of the most anticipated presentations to be made in the event.
Most of them feel that the space has been very ‘well-worked upon’ to showcase the best of drama. “I am still learning, but it is appealing to see the festival’s extravaganza and how wide it is. It’s very well organised and has turned out to be exactly the way that we had imagined a grand theatre festival should be,” says director Guy Roberts from Czech Republic, who is a first-time visitor to India.
As he recreates Homer’s greatest epic Iliad as An Iliad with Rebecca Greene Udden, he talks about how he focuses on the story of fighters, Achilles and Hector, which is told from a poet’s point of view. This is the character of Homer himself. “He is here to tell the story of the Trojan war and about rage, anger and hatred and how we cannot get past that. It is a modern take on how fights have been going on since forever. It just gives a reference of the wars that collide with the ancient epic of the Greeks and Trojans,” shares he.
He explains that the play has moments of both traditionality and modernity, “There are moments in the play where I act out the traditional text and sometimes where I explain it in a very easy-to-understand modern language.”
A theatre is a just a play of characters, or so believes Roberts. Since his play is a depiction of an after-war destruction scene, he says that this could be anywhere and fought over anything. “It is not just about the Greek war, it examines the human nature through the two characters. People are the same all across the world. It could be today’s Syrian war, or a civilian war in some other country. The play is everywhere and nowhere, all at the same time,” says he.
For him, it’s simply storytelling that makes all the difference even if one is devoid of any costumes, stage or props. He feels that “they have the simplest show but sometimes even being simple could be the most difficult thing.” So there is only a small team of five people who are both on stage and at the back.
While Roberts feels that theatre examines the human nature and tries to “present” the reality to the audience, director Sara Zaker from Bangladesh also believes that it “reflects” that part of the society which is in front of people but they don’t accept readily.
Zaker, who adapts Dario Fo and Franca Rame’s The Open Couple at the festival, feels that theatre is important to make the society realise that there are things that are important and need to be delved into deeply rather than simply overlooking them.
Her play is a story of a couple where the husband has multiple affairs. This disturbs the wife to such an extent that she tries to kill herself each time that she finds out about his newest affair with a different woman. She says that in our society polygamy has been very prevalent. “It has had a vast historical background, not just in Bangladesh but universally. There have been kings who have had numerous wives and partners. Here, everytime the man has an affair, he tries to pacify his wife by saying that she was at a liberty to do the same,” says she.
The director says that “it was time we articulated our thoughts about the polygamous relationship that permeates all levels of society.”
Even though the original play had been written during the early 1980s, she feels that what makes theatre special, “is that it is timeless. It depends on the narrative and the message that it tries to portray. It’s not time-specific. It tries to show how the couple’s relationship is not functioning well and that is true with many others as well.”
The husband, in her play, tries to comfort his wife by telling her that they could call it an open relationship and even she could go out looking for affairs. He soon finds out that his wife has fallen in love with another man and is furious just like she used to be. The play, Zaker tells us, ends with a gunshot after the husband goes inside the bathroom. “No one knows whether he really died or he was pretending. It’s open to the audience’s interpretation and the way they perceive it. However, I wanted to give a substantive message to the audience which they could take back,” says she.
It’s the first time that she is showcasing at the festival and Zaker feels that they have displayed “excellent professionalism. The festival’s arrangements are enough to inspire you to tell your story with complete determination. They give a time which we have to follow. We had given them all the architectural measurements for our props and explained the way they had to be constructed. And indeed, they were exactly what we had wanted. There are so many plays and each of it is given equal importance. It’s a wonderful experience.”
About how theatre has evolved over the time, she says that it hasn’t become a regular activity or as a medium of survival and livelihood. She says, “That way, we are not doing good. Either it will have to become a medium of business and go places. If one looks at Bangladesh, it’s not something that provides bread at the end of the day. One can’t survive just by acting.”
While Roberts feels, “Theatre is becoming more and more technically advanced with gadgets coming into the space. But theatre will always be about people sharing a space and experience. It happens only for that moment and then it goes away, hence it’s very unique.”
Writer: Chahak Mittal
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Q. The cast is made up of people from different nationalities. The brothers come from different backgrounds and cultures. Is that a challenge?
I wouldn’t say a challenge. It’s actually quite fun. When we first started filming together, we all lived very close to each other. We were in the same apartment block, just next door. You learn where everyone is from and I have been fortunate enough to get to travel with them to their homes. I’ve been to Denmark with the boys four times now. When you go on holiday to a place, you only get to see the surface. When you’re with people from that country, you get to meet their families and get to know their traditions. The Danish forget that I don’t speak their language. You get so comfortable with each other, you forget that we are from different countries. You get to see a deeper side of each other’s culture, which is a really good thing. It’s the best part about being on set with people from different backgrounds.
Seeing the amount of fighting going on, do you ever get hurt?
Sometimes. Mistakes are a part of life. We practice a lot. There’s a big fight in season five between one person and me where they made me look about eight foot tall. It’s the biggest fight I’ve ever done in my life. We trained for six weeks, four days a week, for it. It took us a day and a half to shoot, and when it made it on screen, it’s about three minutes long. It starts out quite epic, and then gets really tight and personal. That day I had bruised ribs and a black eye. He punched me twice in the jaw. You try your hardest and the stunt guys are very professional. Their main goal is safety, but once you get into it and you get a bit restless, things start to slip up.
What training do you have to do for these fight scenes?
You start really broad, and then you get into the finer details. Practicing in a stunt shed and in a swamp of mud, with dirt in your eyes, you start to get into character. But it’s important for an actor to remember that looking good, and looking real are two completely different things. You don’t need to be in full force. It’s like a dance routine. It’s a sword ballet, pretty much.
All the brothers were quite close in the beginning. Now they have all split up and have chosen separate sides, will we ever see that brotherhood come back together again?
I actually think about this all the time. Every time we read the script, we always want to ask Michael, “Do we get back together?” I think especially with Ivar, everybody has completely different ideas of just how the world should be. Ivar and Ubbe can’t sit in the same room together. When they are in the same room, it never ends well. Hvitserk is torn between the two. He can have an understanding with both Ivar and Ubbe.
Does Ubbe eventually choose a side?
I think he’ll always be in the middle. I think it’s just his part. He keeps going between the two. There’s that rivalry between Bjorn and Ubbe because Bjorn is sort of the rightful person to take over Ragnar’s place. Ubbe doesn’t have an ego like the rest of the brothers do.
Do you think that Ubbe would ever forgive Lagertha for killing his mother?
I had problems with this when I first read the script. I was really struggling to wrap my head around it because he was such a family guy from the start. I think in order to move forward with the Vikings, you have to adapt to their modern society. He understands that he needs both Lagertha and Bjorn. He doesn’t forgive her, but I think he understands that keeping her as an ally will have a much better outcome rather than going against her. If he goes against her, she’s going to die. But he knows they can use each other to achieve something much bigger and better.
How has Ubbe developed in season 5? Do you think he will carry on Ragnar’s legacy?
Yeah, that’s exactly how he describes it. Ragnar wanted something bigger and better for the show. In the first year, he wanted to sail west. He knew that something was going to be a cut above, whether it was England or beyond. It’s not all about the raping, pillaging and the killing. We can have a mutual understanding with people in other countries to make the Vikings better. He doesn’t know where he’s going, or how he’s going to do it, but he’s got a much greater idea to guide the show into the future rather than taking himself there. It’s not about putting Ubbe in the history books. It’s about putting the Vikings in history books.
Did you study Travis? Are there certain quirks that you portray?
Yes, absolutely. You take on little twitches, and the way that you move, things like that. When your father is Ragnar Lothbrok, you have to take on some of his characteristics. We all do in a certain way. We’ve all picked up little bits from Floki and Ragnar. It also doesn’t help that I’ve been told I look like Travis quite a lot. We look very similar. He’s a lot more handsome than I am, but we look close enough. I don’t think you can have a father figure like him and not pick up his characteristics.
Does it happen often that you get a chance to change your lines or discuss it with Michael?
When I first started, I tried to just let it go and do my thing. Michael is writing the show by himself. I mean, sometimes he’s writing 20 character storylines all at once. So I ask him, “How about if Ubbe goes this way?” Sometimes he says yes. Sometimes he’ll write back a very nice email that means “no”, but he doesn’t say no. (Laughs)
How did you react to Alex dragging himself on the ground?
Alex is such a character. I feel like I’m just walking nicely, but he’s got the walk, and he’s so good at it. How he does it on his wrists, I’m not sure. He’s like a full on character rolling next to you. How Alex managed to drag himself around for the past two years is amazing. It just looks so good on screen when he does it. There’s a great scene where we are in a church in England. I just remember watching the monitor of him walking through and it was nothing like I’ve ever seen before. It’s great for the character.
What would you say would be the scariest thing that happened on the set throughout filming?
It’s not that scary. The stunt people put in a lot of effort to keep us safe. There was one scene that’s coming up in 5B where quite a few people are set on fire which is quite scary to watch. It’s such a timed process. I was more scared for them than I am for me. Because sometimes you don’t even get to know if it’s all going according to plan or not.
What was the most difficult thing for you to do for this show?
The most difficult part of the show is the longevity. Over all, you’re here for a very long time. It can take two and a half months to shoot a scene. Trying to keep the continuity and the spark going all the way through it can be hard, especially when you’ve got time off. Trying to get back into it after being gone for two weeks is difficult, but once you get back on set for an hour, it comes back to you.
How long do you spend here shooting?
Between eight or nine months. It’s a long time away from your family. You become a family here, to be honest. This island becomes your home. It’s a big country, but Dublin’s such a small town. When we go out we know people in the coffee shops, the restaurants. You start to know people around your area. It’s strange when you leave for Christmas, when you say goodbye to everyone for three months. It’s like we live in two different worlds.
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Writer: Team Viva
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath may not agree that the Taj Mahal is intrinsic to Indian culture but it has topped the list of monuments with the highest revenue between 2015 and 2018. Going by Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma’s statement in the Rajya Sabha, the others in the top 10 include Agra Fort, Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Sun Temple in Konark, Mamallapuram, Ellora caves, the Khajuraho temples and the Ajanta caves in Aurangabad. Of course, the bigger question is that despite their popularity and the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI’s) year on year increase in expenditure, some of these have already made the headlines for their dismal state of maintenance. As for the pollutant-beaten Taj Mahal, we only seem to take note of it when the Supreme Court desperately appeals to our national conscience in its several rulings. Then there is the larger issue of crowd behaviour with Indians prone to engraving their own legacy on historical facades. There have been reports of old stones, friezes and statues being stolen and sold from sprawling complexes of the Sun Temple at Konark and the limb by limb decimation of figures in Ajanta and Ellora. Clearly, the resource-strapped ASI is finding it difficult to be a custodian and conservator.
Which is why there is no harm in engaging in private-public partnerships for ensuring upkeep. Countries like Italy, Egypt and around the Mediterranean have sought resource and management sharing with private majors like fashion houses and soft drink conglomerates. Varanasi’s ghats have been cleaned up and made presentable without tarnishing their cultural essence and ancient feel by private hotel chains. Delhi’s citizens have found summer evenings pleasurable again with the restoration of the Humayun’s tomb complex and the Sundar Nursery by the Aga Khan Trust. Both these heritage sites and the extended Nizamuddin Basti improvement project have not only restored Mughal architecture and gardens to their pristine glory but encouraged soirees, cultural confluences and most importantly, restored the city’s biodiversity hotspots. Many private players have restored Delhi’s havelis, converting them to heritage homestays. The big museum trusts around the world seek voluntary participation by experts and the community alike. And though critics may claim that corporates were encashing the footfalls while doing CSR, claiming tax benefits and were not entirely altruistic, fact is that signages or hoardings proclaiming their contribution have been limited to areas outside the core heritage arc. The privately run, family-owned Rajasthan forts have boosted the tourist economy and generated more resources for upkeep through specially curated walks and inner chamber access. PPP ventures have resulted in rescuing lost gems like the Nahargarh fort. Imagine a cleaned up Meena Bazaar elevated to the status of the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. Of course, any private initiative has to be monitored and implemented by an expert committee under the supervision of the ASI. This should have multiple representation of historians, conservationists, archaeologists and keeper family trusts. The execution can be entrusted to those with a proven track record and depth of expertise. Heritage is our badge of honour and the more participatory we make it, the better we will respect and keep it.
Writer and Courtesy: The Pioneer
Kumki (an elephant specialised in training wild elephants) deputed to tame Chinna Thambi, a wild tusker, has been charmed and wooed by the latter.
Tamil Television news channels have been airing since Tuesday morning the live visuals of the wild elephant Chinna Thambi and the kumki with a famous Bollywood number Yeh Dosti Hum Nahee Chorengein, much to the delight of the viewers.
Chinna Thambi, which was re-located from the forest reserve of Thadakam in Coimbatore to Anamalai Tiger Reserves at Top Slip, almost 80 km away, on January 25, is on a walkathon from its new and strange surroundings in search of its “ancestral home”, the Thadagam reserve forest.
The kumki has been summoned to avoid any possible stand-off between the wild elephant and the local population. However, besides discharging her assigned job, the kumki has fallen in love with Chinna Thambi, as she seems to have found a long lost friend in the latter. She is showing utmost care and affection to the guest.
The officials of the Coimbatore Forest Division, who were at the receiving end of the complaints from a section of villagers in Thadagam because of the ‘mass stealing’ of their agriculture crops are upset over the return journey undertaken by Chinna Thambi accompanied by the team of foresters from ATR.
“I don’t know what is happening. We bundled off Chinna Thambi to ATR following complaints from the villagers. Now the ATR officials are guiding it back to Thadagam,” said a visibly upset senior forest official from Coimbatore Division. He said the whole affair sounds like a strip from a comedy movie as the Madras High Court has started hearing the petition by wild life conservationists who questioned the move by the authorities to convert Chinna Thambi into another Kumki.
At the time of going to the Press, Chinna, his kumki and the team of foresters were taking rest after a sumptuous late lunch at Krishnapuram, a village enroute to Thadagam.
Writer: Kumar Chellappan
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Malnutrition has been a public health issue in our country for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the agenda through the POSHAN (Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment) Abhiyaan. He has announced clear targets and visible results to be seen by 2022, the 75th anniversary of the country’s Independence. The aim is to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. The targets under the POSHAN Abhiyaan are to reduce stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia (among young children, women and adolescent girls) and bring down low birth weight by two per cent, two per cent, three per cent and two per cent per annum respectively. Additional efforts will be made to bring down stunting from 38.4 per cent (NHFS-4) to 25 per cent by 2022. With this commitment from the highest level of leadership, nutrition is a clear priority for this Government.
India’s National Health Policy (2017) as well as the National Nutrition Strategy (2017) recognise that anaemia, which is a result of iron deficiency, has harmful consequences for maternal and child survival and overall productivity of the nation. Anaemia affects roughly one-third of the world’s population. Those with anaemia have low immunity and work productivity. It adversely impacts cognitive development of children. Anaemia in pregnant women is more likely to increase the risk of post-partum haemorrhage, low-birth weight babies, pre-mature birth, still birth and maternal death.
According to the National Family Health Survey-4 (2015-16), anaemia prevalence across all ages is extremely high in India. The percentage of children, aged between six and 59 months, having anaemia is a whopping 58 per cent while the percentage of women of reproductive age having anaemia is 53 per cent. As much as 50 per cent of pregnant women at any given point of time have anaemia.
There are many causes of anaemia but iron deficiency accounts for close to 50 per cent of cases among school children and women of reproductive age group and 80 per cent in children between two and five years of age (UNICEF and WHO Joint Statement 2001). Infectious diseases such as malaria, helminth infections, TB and hemoglobinopathies are other causes that contribute to the high prevalence of anaemia.
Unlike earlier attempts made to tackle the issue, there is a convergence of various departments and Ministries to achieve the desired results under the anaemia-mukt Bharat strategy. It is pertinent to note that the programme is being implemented pan- India, involving the community. Reaching out to everyone, particularly the vulnerable sections, is an integral strategy under POSHAN Abhiyaan. For this, the Government has improved and strengthened service delivery to ensure an efficient supply chain, encouraged use of technology to reach the targetted beneficiaries and bring about behavioural change through professional counselling.
Anaemia-mukt Bharat is a critical component of the POSHAN Abhiyaan and is expected to benefit 450 million people by 2022. It is based on six interventions, including prophylactic iron and folic supplementation; deworming and behaviour change campaign focussing on key behaviours such as appropriate infant and young child-feeding practices; increased intake of iron-rich diet or fortified food; ensuring delayed cord clamping after delivery; anaemia testing by using digital methods with special focus on pregnant women and adolescents and finally, screening and treatment of non-nutritional causes of anaemia in endemic pockets, malaria included. The strategy focusses on testing and treating anaemia in school-going adolescents and pregnant women using newer technologies, establishing institutional mechanisms for advanced research in the condition and a comprehensive communication strategy.
Considering that there are several other determinants of nutrition, linkages with other initiatives of the Government have been established. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan focuses on creating open defecation-free communities that impact the rates of diarrhoea and gut infections among children. The Pradhan Mantri Matritva Vandana Yojana provides monetary support to pregnant women and lactating mothers for adequate diet, which in turn, promotes health-seeking behaviour.
Mission Indradhanush is increasing the rate of complete immunisation of women and children while the Mother Absolute Affection (MAA) programme is a nation-wide initiative to improve infant and young child-feeding practices. The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) ensures quality ante-natal care for pregnant women, while the school children are being screened annually for diseases and nutritional deficiencies under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK).
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is collaborating with the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) on activities to be carried out during the POSHAN Maah that is observed in September every year. As part of the POSHAN Maah, 2018, AIIMS, New Delhi, along with six regional centres (Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Chhattishgarh and Uttarakhand) undertook intensive BCC along with test and treat campaigns focussed on WRA (15-49 years) and under five children.
Also, our initiative, Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Day (VHNDS), has been strengthened to be observed as ‘POSHAN Melas’ and are being leveraged as an opportunity to reach out to the community for counselling on health-seeking behaviours. Besides VHNDS, collaborating activities with MoWCD include traditional practices such as ‘Godbharai’ and ‘Annaprashan’ as part of POSHAN Abhiyaan for increased acceptance and involvement of the community.
Providing iron and folic acid supplementation and treatment to high risk groups, prevention and treatment of communicable diseases, promoting consumption of all micro-nutrients, and more importantly, encouraging birth spacing through the use of contraception are some other initiatives being taken by the Government for a holistic and life-cycle approach to the issue.
Implementing a programme of this magnitude is by no means an easy task but the Government is committed to end the scourge of anaemia and under-nutrition by rolling it out as a jan andolan (public movement). The decline in the prevalence of anaemia will contribute in improved maternal and child survival and improved health outcomes.
(The writer is Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare)
Writer: JP Nadda
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Udaan Utsav is back with its fourth edition as a platform for the young to showcase their talent in theatre, street plays (nukkad natak), filmmaking, classical and folk dance, music band, solo singing, writing, poetry recitation, painting, poster making, sculpture & cartoon making. WHEN: February 12 to 14 WHERE: IGNCA.
Led by Vikram Goel with his sister Divya, Viya is much desired for its ‘dramatic masterpieces’ which blur the lines between art, design and utility. Vikram’s vision covers the twin poles of contemporary design: from formalist sculptural renditions of traditional motifs to free flowing exuberant installations that break away from the confines of sober geometries. When: Till February 14 time: 10.30 am to 6.30 pm Where: Bikaner House, Pandara Road.
Latitude 28 presents A page in the book of my Life, an exquisite art exhibition at Artist Playground by Pullman, Aerocity. The exhibition imbibes everyday objects and draws meanings from the memories of the past and the present. When: Till April 3 time: All day where: Lower Ground Floor, Pullman New Delhi Aerocity.
Studio Art Gallery presents Between The Lines, an exhibition by Pakistani artist Khalil Chishtee, which is a reflection upon trauma of war that he tries to show using the poetic language of Urdu calligraphy in intricate metal works in India. when: February 11 to 16 Time: 11 am to 7 pm Where: Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre.
Delhi Literature Festival enters its seventh edition in 2019, featuring bestselling and new authors like Madhavi Menon, Ravinder singh, Ruskin Bond, Gagan Gill, Taruna Mishra, Prasoon Joshi, Shashi Tharoor, to name a few. When: February 8, 9, and 10 Time: 1 pm to 8 pm where: Dilli Haat, Opposite INA Market.
Writer and Courtesy: The Pioneer
We all dream of a better world where there is peace, happiness and harmony, don’t we ? No one wants degradation of environment, loss of human lives due to wars and murders, corrosion of human spirit by crime and corruption, dehumanisation through poverty and troublesome social, economic and political conditions, embroiled with high tension and turmoil that drain human energy and make life miserable.
On the contrary, all of us would prefer life to be characterised by harmony and health, well being and wealth as well as happiness and purity. But the question is, what are those values and how can such a socio-politico-economic system be established which has them so as to enhance human experience and enable men and women to have such a lifestyle that can make such a society viable?
Looking around, it can be said that much of the conflict in the society today, is due to lack or absence of tolerance.Yes, it is tolerance of difference in views, diversity of religious beliefs and cultures, plurality of races and nations that brings about unity and co-operation and that, in turn, leads to making concerted efforts for the amelioration of the miserable condition of the world. But open-mindedness or unity cannot exist or survive alone. In fact, no value or virtue can stand alone and by itself. In case of liberalism, there is either some common purpose that holds people in unity or there is an urgent common need, waiting to be fulfilled, that impels or compels people to tolerate each other. But even if there is a common purpose and need, tolerance becomes shaky, weak, emaciated and even dead if there is suspicion about a person’s motives or a doubt about his intentions or even an awareness of a lack of human values like honesty, sincerity and sympathy and, above all, lack of the spirit of co-existence and fellow-feeling in the person.
In our lifetime, we come across many variables and variants and one requires spiritual strength to tolerate those who have violence, obsession and inhuman tendencies as their constant and inseparable companions. Tolerance is easy where one is confronted with civilised and wise people even if the latter are one’s bitter critics or opponents but one has to have a higher degree of open-mindedness if one is confronted with people who are compulsive liars, vile and wicked and for this, one is required to develop the supportive values of good-will, patience, calmness and love. Our present sorry state is the result of neglect or violation of those values. We have gradually lost the human aspect of our life and have become more or less like machines, as a result of which there is no spirit of friendship, fellow-feeling and love in our life.
Our knowledge of science, technology, communication or managerial skills and more has not been able to bring inner happiness because our level of honesty, sincerity, cordiality, fellow-feeling, fair dealing, duty, discipline and mutual trust are falling rapidly. In other words there has been an erosion of social, moral and family values. It is not that science and technology or management skills that have caused our present sufferings. On the other hand, it is the fall in the standards of morality that has prevented even science and technology and management or administrative ability from giving us their full benefits.
Moreover, it is not that people do not know that moral values are necessary to build a happy and peaceful society. People wish to have moral qualities in their life but they don’t have that spiritual knowledge that would enable them to follow these values successfully nor do they know that kind of meditation which would make the values stay in them and give them a deep experience of peace and happiness. Thus, the need of the hour is that we create a mass awareness among people about values like tolerance, humility, mutual respect in order to realise our dream of a world where there is peace, happiness and harmony.
Writer: Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj
Courtesy: The Pioneer
The India Art Fair is a rich tapestry that allows you to prime all of your five senses and for the first time creates a tactile and participatory world that engages lensman Pankaj Kumar
As we walk to the India Art Fair, the Palette Art Gallery’s melange of masters throws up a trio of artist Jogen Chowdhury’s drawings that are a treat for tired eyes and stand apart as a corollary of contemporary conversations in the vitality and versatile power of drawings. With humble tools and ink and mixed media on paper, he presents three drawings that are a heady study of anatomical exaggerations and the fascinating felicity of the cross-hatch style that can never grow old. This is what defines Jogenda, the maestro.
Paris in the 1960s
In 2007, when I went to spend a few days at his Shantiniketan home. One chilly winter, he spoke of how a generous scholarship took him to Paris where he was trained at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts and Atelier 17 of William Hayter, which, at that time, was the finishing school of many talented young Indian artists aspiring to seek rudiments of European techniques. “We had to draw many portraits and sketches of several European models who sat in the studios,” recalled Jogenda. “But I always felt that translating mere realism for the sake of it was not what I wanted. I used to get bored, so I started doing exaggerations in mood and I created a set of pen and ink drawings with those signatures.”
He added, “In later years they became studies of the people I associated with or observed in day to day activities and that is how my cross hatched portraits became part of my sensibility. I think I was yearning for something original and that is the beginning of my journey with such drawings.”
Loose-limbed torsos
Those drawings from the 1960s have come to bearing even today as you look at two portraits of men and one of a bulbous woman. Intriguing perhaps to see that Jogenda is happy creating loose-limbed, bulging torsos of naked evocative men who are by no means young, and also creating a long-haired woman with rotund eyes with thin and knobbly arms that end in long undulating fingers. These two men and the woman are by no means large but their impact is indeed monumental almost as if their flesh has turned into skin that is coarsely tinted and hewn by his pliant pen and ink. The body with deeply grooved furrows ensures a striking attractiveness that emanates a strong and pulsating sensuality.
Patachitras and alpanas in reference
Jogenda is the master of the modernist figure. The manner in which he distorts form with the pensive fluidity of lines is reminiscent of all forms and indices of the ritualistic alpana created on the floors of Bengali homes by gorgeous women with graceful saris. In all the three drawings, Jogenda draws our attention to the limbs and if we look closely, the extremities have a luxuriant as well as languid grace about them. This reminds us of the abundant foliage on rooftops, crevices and corners of villages.
“My work has always been deeply rooted in Indian traditions,” states Jogenda. “You can look at many references but of course the one that comes instantly to mind is that of the patachitras, alpanas and the floral studies that I have done and observed in the past.”
Surrealism
What is evident also is how in the drawing that is a portrait he gives us the limpid language of surrealism. The decorative element is inherent in Jogenda’s style, but for him embellishment has its own flourish, its own lingua franca. It also highlights folk elements. The beauty of these three drawings is the intricate crosshatching that gives an undeniable three-dimensional quality. These drawings are far from beautiful, they have tales to tell and elicit the power of the human hand because despite his age, Jogenda dares to be simple and sophisticated, leaving his lithe, loose lines to do all the talking. The panache and perfection of using pen and ink directly on paper is non pareil. The lines meander across the white surface and as the human forms take shape, we are reminded that drawing is the basis of all art and it is the human hand that empowers and embraces the very spirit of creation.
Writer: Uma Nair
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Hong Kong is lit by an Indian talent
Proud Indian and Mother, model and flight attendant, Mukta Chopra has already won a regional Mrs Asia title and hopes this week’s pageant for married women will bring more exposure in her home city. Hong Kong-based beauty queen Mukta Chopra has been brand ambassador of brand India for long now. Her personality and style has attracted plenty of attention. If she notices the appreciative glances, it doesn’t show. Besides, the pageant winner gets all the satisfaction she needs from her career, husband and two children.
The flight attendant and model, an Indian national who has lived in Hong Kong for 20 years, was earlier this summer crowned Mrs South Central Asia. In Guangzhou, she competed for the title of Mrs Universe – the married woman’s equivalent of Miss Universe. In fact, she has dominated the Far-East region in modeling and fashion for over two decades.
For all her confident air, Chopra hesitates when asked her age, laughing and stroking her hair before revealing that she’s 43. Still, she says, she is proud to be taking part in a tournament that promotes strong, mature women.
“In the past, there were no contests for married women. They devoted most of their time to taking care of their children and their husbands,” she says. “But married women nowadays have careers and are health-conscious. They are doing really well and taking care of themselves.”
Chopra took part against 19 other women in the Mrs South Central Asia contest, held in India, after qualifying by fielding questions about her education, goals and how she could contribute to society. There was another criterion: “All of the contestants had to have won some kind of contest before,” says Chopra, who was named Mrs Beautiful Eyes in the 2014 Mrs India pageant.
Since earning that title, she has been hired for many fashion shoots and catwalk shows, including last year’s Fashion Week Dubai. She has donated the money earned from her fashion work to charities in India helping orphans and cancer survivors. Although she has had no modeling job offers in Hong Kong - “It’s difficult to get exposure in Hong Kong,” she says – Chopra hopes her Mrs South Central Asia title – and maybe a Mrs Universe crown – could change that.
Despite her modeling work, a 20- year career as a flight attendant, and children aged seven and 11 to care for, Chopra says she still finds time to look after herself.
“I love yoga and I work out a lot,” she says. “I always begin my day with honeyed lemon water. I am a woman, and women are inherently blessed with the natural ability to multi-task. I’m fascinated by my overlapping roles as a mother, career woman, and now a beauty pageant winner. They all come naturally to me.”
Chopra says she probably spends more time with her children than women with a standard nine-to-five job. “I have the option to do short flights, so I choose that. It gives me enough time to be with my family.”
Her daughter constantly encourages her to follow her dreams, she says, and her husband is equally supportive, reminding her: “You’ll regret if you don’t pursue your passions.”
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Bureau Chief Fashion & Entertainment Desk
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